Show Notes
Summary:
In this episode, I talk about 4 ways to re-energize your creativity. We have a lot of energy going out on a daily basis. All of the things we do in our life require and drain our energy. What are you doing to bring energy in? What practices or activities do you do to replenish your energy? I will share 4 ways to ensure you are bringing energy back in so you can do the things you love.
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Episode Transcription:
[00:00:00] Welcome I'm Kristi Backman. This is my podcast, Cultivating Creativity. It's about helping you build your creative life. Giving creatives a way to make space for artistic growth through the insights for the mind of an artist, instructor and art coach about the creative process and living that crazy creative life.
[00:00:27] In this episode, I talk about 4 ways to re-energize your creativity. We have a lot of energy going out on a daily basis. All of the things we do in our life require and drain our energy. What are you doing to bring energy in? What practices or activities do you do to replenish your energy? I will share 4 ways to ensure that you're bringing energy back in. So, you can do the things that you love.
[00:00:57] If you're anything like me, you often feel guilty for taking time off or resting. There is just so much to do and so much to accomplish. But taking time to rest and recharge is actually an efficiency tactic and an important facet of being productive. This concept is something I continually have to work on.
[00:01:16] Tell me if this sounds familiar, there are days where I just throw the to-do list out the window and the lays around in my PJ's. Maybe I binge read or watch something and refuse to engage in the day. While this sounds relaxing. My mind and body are actually going on strike. I feel guilty. So, I'm grumpy and depressed.
[00:01:35] The reality is I've been pushing too hard, and I didn't build in a practice of rest and rejuvenation. And this day represents a breaking point. Now there's nothing wrong with taking a day off. In fact, I encourage that. I'm talking about when you just can't function and find yourself taking that day.
[00:01:54] I lived in this cycle for a long time. If I'm not mindful about it, it's easy to slip back into this negative pattern. So, I want to share with you what I have learned so you can avoid the cycle and intentionally create energy building practices.
[00:02:09] Step 1: Move your body.
[00:02:13] Identify a physical practice, something that involves moving your body that you actually enjoy. Now I'm not talking about setting up some crazy exercise routine I'm talking about something that actually sounds enjoyable. Something that feels good and something you'll really do.
[00:02:30] This can be as simple as walking around the block, doing some yoga or Qigong in your living room. For me, this is swimming, and I am lucky enough that there is a gym with a pool really close to my home. Again, I'm not talking about a fitness plan or a workout routine. I am talking about simply getting up and moving your body.
[00:02:49] Maybe you want to dance around the living room? I don't know. You may know your preferred activities, but if not, do some experimentation to find something that you like. Keep it simple. We often forget that we live in physical bodies and while society pushes us to be aware of how they look, we're not always aware of how they feel, until they hurt.
[00:03:10] We need to spend more time intentionally nurturing the bodies we have. So, it doesn't take pain to remind us that they exist. Also, I'm sure you've heard that physical movement releases endorphins, which are chemicals produced by the body that relieve stress and pain. We could all use more of that. So find an activity that you enjoy and add it to your routine . Keep it in mind when you start to hit a wall and then get out of your mind and into your body.
[00:03:36] Step 2: Rest & Nourish Your Body.
[00:03:39] Make sure to allow the necessary time for quality sleep and food. In terms of sleep, by now I'm sure you have an idea of how much sleep you need to function. Well, with that in mind, create some nighttime and morning rituals that work around this number. If you're not allowing yourself enough sleep, you're sabotaging your energy potential, period. Make the necessary adjustments and make this a priority.
[00:04:06] Now let's consider food. I'm not talking about going on some kind of crazy diet I'm talking about taking the necessary time to eat and making sure that that food actually nourishes your body. A bad habit I have is thinking things like, “oh, I'll have lunch or dinner as soon as I finish X, Y, Z.”
[00:04:23] In my experience, things tend to have a tendency to take longer than we think. And before I know it, I am hangry and my brain is fuzzy. So how productive do you think that is? Food does involve some strategy and preparation, have a plan on what to eat or at least some options. So when you're ready to eat, you have what you need to prepare a meal.
[00:04:46] This may also take a bit of experimentation to find what works for you. I have some quick standby meals for when I'm busy. And I also like to cook in bulk so I can freeze and then reheat, leftovers… homemade frozen dinners people. Eating and sleeping seems pretty basic, but it's amazing how often we undervalue and ignore these basic needs. So, make them a priority.
[00:05:10] Step 3: Entertain the Mind.
[00:05:14] In our modern society, we spend most of our time living in and using our minds. They are always on and always working and we tend to think that they can rest when we sleep, but our minds need engagement beyond work. They need to be entertained and have fun. This is actually an important aspect of mental health.
[00:05:32] What do you enjoy outside of work? Do you like to read, watch TV, play games, do puzzles? These types of things are often seen as a waste of time, but are in fact important to the rejuvenation of our minds. I recommend you doing your favorite activities a bit each day.
[00:05:48] Make the time and space for them, allow for entertainment and don't dismiss its importance. This may also take a bit of experimentation. But I'm sure you have things you already like, and I challenge you to be open to new things as well. I consider this play and I highly value play. I believe play is the foundation of creativity. Play brings us joy and enriches the mind, which equals energy in.
[00:06:14] Step 4: Engage the Spirit.
[00:06:18] This could manifest in a variety of different ways. But it does require looking inward. This can involve a journaling or meditation practice. It could involve the ceremonies of your spirituality or religion. It can be a gratitude practice that honors what you already have.
[00:06:33] It can be pretty much any aspect of personal development that gives you the time and space for reflection. This is another thing that tends to fall by the wayside or be discounted as unnecessary. But in fact, is a huge opportunity to bring energy in and have it fuel what's important to you. Of everything we have discussed this may take the most experimentation and time to build some practices. Modern culture, especially modern Western culture does not place enough value on this practice. In a world of hurry up and do it seems counterintuitive to slow down and feel. But this is vitally important.
[00:07:12] I'll share some of my practices, keeping in mind that I've built up several over the years. I love doing an Oracle card pull in the morning. Right now I'm working with three different decks, The Soul's Journey, Native Spirit and Sacred Rebels. I love these collections. There is so much wisdom and inspiration. I also often journal, which can be about experiences, feelings, or things I'm thinking about. I have a meditation practice and I practice gratitude in the evenings, as I love this positive reflection at the end of the day. Interacting with nature is a huge source of rejuvenation for me. Ideally, I love to head up into the mountains, but will also go to the Botanic gardens, a city park, or heck just a walk around the block when I need something closer.
[00:07:56] I also have a sand art practice. I have a large shallow wood bowl filled with sand where I do sand meditation patterns with rocks leaves and flowers. I find this type of aesthetic meditation very enriching. These are my soul practices. What are yours?
[00:08:13] As we've gone through these steps, you may have noticed that in essence, we are talking about caring for the body, mind and spirit and that there are two steps for the body. As ironically, we tend to dismiss our physical bodies. It's crazy, but it's true. These practices bring the energy in that we need to work creatively. They are not indulgences, but necessary to our overall health. They are a great way to ensure that there is enough energy going in to fuel our lives and our dreams.
[00:08:47] I hope you found this helpful, as with everything experiment with the details until you find what works best for you. If you want to learn more about building rejuvenating practices, check out my course, Unlock Self-Awareness for more insights about what will work for you. If you enjoy this episode, subscribe to my podcast leave a review and follow me in Instagram, until next time.
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